Radiation sickness is rare in its full form, but there are more everyday risks that you should be aware of. Discover everything about this pathology.
Radiation sickness is the set of symptoms that occur as a result of exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation. In general, the exposure must be in a short period of time. Also Known As acute radiation syndrome o radiotoxemia.
For radiation sickness to occur, the doses received must be high and belong to the group of penetrating radiation. That is, those that have the ability to reach the internal organs. At the same time, when we talk about a short period of time, we mean just minutes in nuclear explosions or a few weeks in other circumstances.
The scientist Marie Curie died in 1934 as a result of radiotoxemia. She suffered one of her most serious complications: bone marrow aplasia.
Clinical picture of radiation sickness
Radiation sickness develops in 4 clinical stages that have variable duration and intensity:
- Prodromal.
- Latent.
- manifest.
- Recovery or death.
The chances of presenting symptoms increase as the dose is greater than 0.7 grams. The cause of death, as we will discuss later, is associated with severe infections or destruction of the bone marrow. Dehydration with hydroelectrolyte imbalance and coma can also occur in the process.
When the dose exceeds or approaches 10 grams, it is potentially fatal within 2 to 4 weeks.
The severity of the consequences depends on the degree of exposure and the dose that has been received. As well as the part of the body that was exposed.
1. Prodromal phase of acute radiation syndrome
The first symptoms of radiation sickness are usually the following:
- Diarrhea.
- Headache.
- Lack of appetite.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Skin rash.
- Tiredness and extreme fatigue.
Swellings and edemas, vertigo, tachycardia, irritability and insomnia can also be recorded. These symptoms occur from minutes after exposure to several days or weeks later.
Radiation damage to the skin usually manifests as redness and swelling. There will be blisters and ulcers, as happens with heat burns.
This first phase tends to disappear within a week. Thus, it gives the false belief that there is no longer any danger from radiation. However, it is very likely that the same symptoms or new ones will appear some time later.
2. Latency phase of radiotoxemia
During the latency phase there are usually no symptoms of radiation sickness or these tend to be very mild. It can last from the first week of exposure until 21 to 30 days later.
The symptoms will tend to come back and get worse. Cell death is taking place at this point in the process. from the bone marrow.
3. Manifest clinical phase of radiation sickness
Posteriorly, hair loss may occur, fertility impairment and, most seriously, affectation of the hematopoietic, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and neurological systems. The signs of the central nervous system and digestive system are usually the following:
- Fatigue.
- loss of appetite
- Vomiting preceded by nausea.
- Seizures.
- Coma.
When there is destruction of the bone marrow, hematopoietic syndrome occurs, characterized by pancytopenia or a decrease in the three types of blood cells, with anemia (red blood cells), leukopenia (white blood cells) and thrombocytopenia (platelets).
Thrombocytopenia brings with it the risk of bleeding. Meanwhile, leukopenia increases the possibility of infections due to immunosuppression.
In the most severe cases there may be internal bleeding, loss of gastrointestinal motility, and severe immunosuppression.
4. Final stage
The critical phase of radiation therapy disease occurs about the second to seventh week after exposure. Here recovery or death occurs.
There is usually total marrow aplasia (manifested by pancytopenia), prolonged coma, loss of motility of the gastrointestinal tract, and spontaneous abortions and infertility.
Diagnosis is clinical and by ruling out other conditions.
The diagnosis of radiation sickness is clear when there is a previous event of exposition. It can occur after nuclear accidents (something very rare today), but also as a consequence of prolonged treatments for cancer, such as breast cancer. Or even in work environments where nuclear energy is handled.
When there are burn-like lesions on the skin, without exposure to the sun, chemicals, or any electrical current, radiation sickness should be suspected.
There is no specific treatment for radiation sickness.
Treatment is focused on resolving the symptoms, so it must be individualized according to each case. It tends to focus on addressing infections, as well as injuries and burns, while maintaining hydration. Antibiotics, antiemetics, and sedatives are prescribed.
When there is involvement of the bone marrow, the treatments should be more intensive and include factors that stimulate the hematopoietic line. This is because the main cause of death in radiation sickness is internal bleeding due to lack of platelets and infections due to lack of white blood cells.
Plasma and blood transfusions, surgical intervention for burns, and, in some cases, protocols for radiation-induced leukemia may be required.
Bone marrow transplant is an option. On the other hand, in cases of infertility due to ovarian and testicular dysfunction, there is no effective treatment.
A disease with long-term effects
Radiation sickness is very rare and it is produced, above all, by extreme situations, such as a nuclear explosion or accidents in nuclear power plants. However, there are milder consequences that are present in the context of everyday situations, such as cancer treatment or the development of certain tasks.
To reach full radiation sickness, with all its phases, the equivalent of more than 18,000 chest X-rays would need to be received in a short period of time.
Healing of the skin and bone marrow can take anywhere from weeks to years. In addition, the accumulation of radiation levels May increase lifetime risk of cancer.
There will be no problems if they indicate a chest X-ray, for example. In any case, it is always convenient to control the daily exposure to any type of radiation.
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